Chapter 44: The Unlucky One
Chapter 44: The Unlucky One
Fang Che looked at Ding Jueran and smiled slightly.
Three targets, one of them was Xi Men Xuri, who he had already dealt with. Two more remained.
This Ding Jueran was not to be killed, so Fang Che decided to take another approach: friendship.
With a warrior's sincerity and passion, he ignited the warrior's spirit within his opponent.
Open and upright, with a pure and noble demeanor.
Ding Jueran's appearance clearly showed he was a reclusive and eccentric person, and such individuals often lacked friends.
Furthermore, considering their age, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, no matter how bad, would still have a passionate heart. Yes, the so-called rebellious phase.
So Fang Che's plan worked.
Of course, if this approach didn't work, Fang Che would change tactics, as different people required different strategies.
Well, making friends first shouldn't be a problem, right? As for the future, only time would tell.
Fang Che was very satisfied.
Two out of the three targets had already been dealt with.
Xi Men Xuri, who he had killed, could also be considered dealt with.
...
Seven Advances to Four!
Fang Che took the lead.
Everyone witnessed Fang Che's undeniable strength, and he was even considered a sure winner for the championship. With his Blade Mimics Stupa technique, no one could rival him.
Countless students pounded their chests in frustration.
But it was too late.
Among the many favorites for the championship, Fang Che had the lowest betting odds.
Only about seven thousand points were bet on him.
And most of those bets were from girls who favored handsome guys!
This face-judging society clearly gave the beauty-lovers a huge advantage.
A massive victory for the beauty-lovers!
Almost all the male students were devastated.
In contrast, the female martial students who bet on Fang Che were cheering loudly, their voices crisp and unified, drowning out the cries of the male students.
"Cousin, cousin!"
"Cousin is mine!"
"Ahhh... I didn't expect to win..." said a round-faced, chubby girl with a delighted expression.
This voice was not just a show of vanity, but like a knife, piercing the hearts of the other gamblers.
They never expected to win...
While Fang Che and his group analyzed and rearranged, constantly shuffling and choosing, the result was a disaster.
And there was no way out! Countless male students felt their vision darken, and their future at the Martial Academy seemed bleak.
"I'm done for..."
"I'm done too!"
"Thinking about the expenses for food and cultivation from now on... I just want to die! Ahhh..."
"You... you bet everything, even your food money?"
"Wasn't I going all-in? I didn't even leave half a point, I bet it all on this useless Ding Jueran... Hey? Hey, brother, do you have any left?"
"Get lost! I don't!"
"No, no, brother, big brother, dad! From tomorrow on, I'll follow you like a horse follows its master... Dad, dad, don't leave..."
"..."
The entire White Cloud Martial Academy was filled with gloom and despair.
...
In the next match, Huo Churuan faced Xie Gongping.
Before the fight began, almost everyone felt that the champion of this Grand Competition had already been decided.
Fang Che was practically guaranteed the championship.
Whether the remaining matches were held or not, they were only for determining the second and third places.
There was no real excitement left.
Fang Che's Blade Mimics Stupa technique was a sure-win move, and even if the remaining competitors had higher overall strength, once that blade was drawn, defeat was almost certain.
With that, what was there left to fight for?
No matter how much they fought, none of them would be first.
However, the brilliance, intensity, and tenacity of this match far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Huo Churuan and Xie Gongping, from the moment they stepped onto the arena, fought with all their might.
They started with fist and foot combat, pounding each other like drums, both ending up with bruised faces and swollen noses. Then, they drew their blades and clashed fiercely.
Eventually, their blades were both broken, and they resorted to hand-to-hand combat.
Their fight lasted an entire hour, with neither gaining the upper hand!
In the end, both were exhausted of their true essence but refused to fall, continuing to pummel each other with their bare fists!
The spectators below watched in awe, their skin crawling and hearts shaken.
Such deep hatred, to fight to this extent! Mo Guanyun, standing beside Fang Che, chuckled and said, "These two families are sworn enemies; the two of them have been at each other's throats since they were young..."
"Oh? Tell us more."
A smile appeared on Mo Guanyun's rough face as he explained, "Huo Churuan is the direct descendant of the Huo Family, an eighth-grade family in Wave Suppressing City, and Xie Gongping is the direct descendant of the Xie Family, also an eighth-grade family in Wave Suppressing City. Both are geniuses."
"The Huo Family and the Xie Family have been bitter rivals for two thousand years. Originally, both families were seventh-grade families, but due to their constant conflicts, they both fell to the eighth grade, deepening their hatred. These two major families have always been at each other's throats. If this were outside the Martial Academy, where killing is allowed, they would have already settled their scores."
When Mo Guanyun mentioned that killing was not allowed in the Martial Academy, he glanced at Fang Che.
The implication was clear.
Fang Che suddenly understood and said, "So that's how it is."
He then asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"As far as I know, Brother Fang, you are the first person in the White Cloud Martial Academy in the last three hundred years to kill someone during the New Student Competition."
Mo Guanyun sighed, "A talent indeed."
"Huh?"
"Don't think that just because you killed Xi Men Xuri, everything will be calm now. The Martial Academy will have to do a lot of work. No matter what, Xi Men Xuri was legitimately admitted to the academy and was at the top of his class. To be killed on the arena, in front of tens of thousands of people, is a huge incident for the academy."
"No matter how despicable Xi Men Xuri was, how he tried to ambush and ended up being killed... those are just reasons. They cannot cover up the fact that a martial student was killed in public right after entering the school."
"For you personally, you may only need to be wary of the Xi Men Family's revenge, as it's clear to anyone with eyes that you're not at fault here."
However, just because you're not to blame doesn't mean others won't be unlucky."
Mo Guanyun's gaze shifted to the stage, "Didn't you see... the referee on stage changed? When you fought Xi Men Xuri, those two instructors were probably unlucky, as they were the obvious scapegoats."
Fang Che fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, "In that situation, how could we blame those two teachers? No one could have reacted in time."
"That's true, but at that moment, only those two were on stage. Not stopping it was a mistake! Because they were the referees! They were also responsible for safety."
"The Martial Academy will reason with you, and everyone knows what happened, but society won't reason with you! The logic is that a good kid was killed at the Academy, and as a teacher, you were right there, yet you didn't stop it! That's dereliction of duty, a grave sin!"
"With the Academy's strength, they naturally don't need to worry about the Xi Men family, a ninth-level family. However, they must provide an explanation to the various sectors of society. Therefore, even if we know there's a reason behind this, even if we know the two instructors are innocent, this stain is inevitable."
Mo Guanyun sighed, "If those two instructors don't have anyone to vouch for them... I'm afraid..."
He shook his head and stopped talking.
A loud bang sounded from the stage.
Huo Churuan and Xie Gongping simultaneously punched each other in the eye socket.
Both ended up with black eyes.
The two, already completely exhausted, staggered and fell backward, their faces turning purple.
A thunderous boom echoed as they both lay on the ground, legs up.
It was a draw, neither winning nor losing!
The entire venue was in an uproar.
No one expected that after all this time, the two would end up in such a stalemate.
But everyone saw it with their own eyes; these two youngsters not only didn't hold back but also gave it their all.
Yet they couldn't defeat each other.
Reluctantly, a draw was declared.
Fang Che paid no more attention to the stage; instead, he pondered Mo Guanyun's words.
For a moment, he felt a heavy heart.
The battle between Huo Churuan and Xie Gongping lasted an entire afternoon!
As night fell, the fight between Qiu Yunshang and Jing Shuang Gao, and the final battle for the top three spots, had to be postponed until the next day.
Moreover, the Academy was faced with a dilemma: with the two fighters tied, how could seven advance to four?
Would it have to be seven to five?
This issue required further consideration.
Fang Che declined Fang Qingyun's invitation and left alone.
...
The two instructors responsible for refereeing the fight between Fang Che and Xi Men Xuri, Gao Yunqi and Zhou Yi, looked solemn as they left the Academy together and found a small tavern.
They ordered only two small dishes but four large jars of wine.
Before even touching the food, they had already finished a jar of wine, and neither spoke a word.
Finally...
Gao Yunqi chuckled dryly, "This situation is indeed... strange. This encounter can be considered unlucky."
Zhou Yi laughed, "Yes, strange. After being injured last time, I wanted to die in battle, but an order transferred me to White Cloud Academy... At first, I didn't want to come, but eventually, I did."
"After arriving here, life became comfortable, with fewer dangers. So, I found a wife, had children, and originally planned to drag my injured body to raise some talents here. I didn't expect... Haha..."
Zhou Yi smiled, "I don't mind, but it's a pity that my wife and children have only enjoyed a few years of peace, and now they'll have to live in fear."
He sighed, "I guess it's my fault for being too narrow-minded. After a lifetime of cultivation and fighting, for a hundred and fifty years, I never thought of starting a family. Returning to the rear with injuries, I still wanted to find a wife, in doing so, burden her. It's really... pointless."
"If I had known today, why bother with the past?"
Gao Yunqi smiled, "I'm the same. My wife and children are still at home... Haha, drinking."
Zhou Yi asked, "What do you think the Academy will do this time?"
"The Academy will definitely protect us."
Gao Yunqi sighed, "Especially Vice Headmaster Huang, who will never back down. With his support, as long as we toughen up a bit, there's actually nothing to worry about. A minor punishment, not too painful, and after enduring for a while, the storm will pass."
Zhou Yi chuckled, picked up his bowl, and drank, "If only our skins were a little thicker, that would be great."
"Haha!"
Gao Yunqi laughed and raised his wine bowl, "Drink, drink!"
"It's a pity that White Cloud Academy, with its reputation, would be tarnished because of us. As long as the Academy protects its teachers, no matter who is right or wrong, the Academy is protecting its own."
"Yes! If it gets out, it will be seen as officials protecting each other, like flies and maggots."
"Oppressing the weak and the masses."
Both men had spent their lives in the martial world; how could they not think of the aftermath of this incident?
Reputation wasn't something to be taken lightly!
"When the Academy makes its decision, let's request to be transferred to the New Chu Border. Might as well fight a few more battles with those demon brats from the Only Me Religion!"
"Good!"
The two raised their wine bowls and smiled at each other.
Yesterday's comrades-in-arms, today's colleagues, and tomorrow, they will be comrades-in-arms again!
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Remember to take care of your families."
"Understood."
The two burst into laughter.
The opening paragraph of this chapter was not in the original manuscript. After reading the comments last night, I realized that some people genuinely misunderstood the book.
Some actually thought that Fang Che was sincerely befriending Ding Jueran, and there were even likes and comments agreeing with this.
To avoid being led astray, I deleted that part.
This morning, I specifically added an explanatory paragraph.
Those who understand the plot can treat it as a filler.
Please understand my frustration in adding this extra paragraph.
If this book is fortunate enough to be published, this added paragraph will be deleted.
As for Ding Jueran's subsequent story... Well, read on to find out.
(End of Chapter)
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